Tired of Starting Over?

It's really hard when things don't turn out like we planned. Kind of like this whole weight loss journey that I've been on. It's a journey that I thought would be coming to end but feels never ending. 

Photo Credit: iheartinspiration.com

What do you do when going all in doesn't feel like it's enough? 

I'm pressing in to God to learn what I'm supposed to learn that I haven't yet. My head knows I should press in and trust God, but my emotions are saying, "why is this so hard?" 

I've thought about giving up many times, but I won't. Why? Because I wouldn't be giving up on a weight loss goal, I would be giving up on trusting that God's grace is enough. My focus on a long run is how far I've come, instead of on how far I have to go. I'm taking this same approach to weight loss. I'm leaner, faster and stronger than I was 3 months ago. Each day I'm growing more focused and more disciplined. There was a time in my life when I would have quit by now, but by God's grace, His faithfulness I haven't. 

I know it's not just me. How do you keep working towards goals that always feel just out of your reach?

Today's Promise:

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Heb 10:23(NLT)

Today's Workout:

Ran 3mi @ 9:55/mi pace ---> I'm getting faster!

Confession: Thank you, Lord for peace in my heart and the endurance to keep going.

Kendra

To Overcome the fear of starting: Go ALL In!

I've been the leader of a running group for about 6 months. I can't tell you how many times being apart of this group has gotten me up out of my warm bed and out the door. One weekend a few months back a new runner showed up to run with us. She shared with me it's always been her desire to be a runner. She had silently watched our posts in our Facebook group and longed to join us on a run.

Fear of the unknown had kept her from coming out week after week. Not knowing what to expect-would she end up walking alone? What would the women in the group think of her if she showed up for a running group and walked the entire time?
Fear circled through her mind.

But it wasn't until she made a decision that everything changed. It's the decision we all have to make.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Cliche? I know, but still true.
This quote captures a fear many of us share-the fear of starting. We're afraid to make the first of many steps we know we will have to take. Why?

In certain areas of your life when you begin to think about where you are now and where you want to be, it's overwhelming to imagine what it will take to reach your destination.

What do we do instead?

We make excuses.
We procrastinate and we hope that the desire will go away.
We fear starting something that we aren't even sure we can finish. Counting the cost or determining if we can finish before we start is scriptural,

After all, who wants to pour their heart and soul into something and not see the results from it? So what do we do, we make half-hearted attempts and when we don't see the results we want, we say "See. I knew this wouldn't work. I knew it wouldn't happen for me."

The only way to truly succeed is to go all in. Don't hold back. Go after it with all of your heart, because all of your heart is what it will take. Fully commit with the expectation that regardless of the outcome, you will be better.

Courage gets us started. It gets us to the starting line but commitment carries us through to the end. I've seen it time and time again not just in the lives of others but in my own life. I've been afraid to start, but once I get going I also start to fear the commitment.

Consider your own life. What area of your life have you been afraid to go all in and the outcome has been what you feared?